What can you do if you’re involved in a railroad accident?

Most people think it will never happen to them, being involved in an incident with a train seems like something from the news that doesn’t occur in everyday life. But it does, and way more often than you would think.

There were more than 3,000 instances of trains colliding with cars in the US alone, and many more when you take into account pedestrian collisions and injury that occurs to passengers on board a train. This number can be scary to think about, so it’s always best to exercise caution when you’re in the vicinity of any and all trains and locomotive transporters.

But, if the worst were to happen, would you know what to do? If wrongful death or extreme injury occurs, then you or your family may be entitled to compensations and damage costs.

Find the Right Attorney

Railroad accident lawyers specialise in instances where a railroad accident has occurred and are the best option if you’re seeking legal advice about your accident. It’s often important to find a law firm that specialises in your case type as they have the knowledge, expertise and experience to deal with your case with the highest quality of service and with the best results.

Sometimes, it may be better to search further than your local area to find the right attorney for you, do your research and see who is the absolute best at what they do and enquire with them first to see what sort of help they can provide.

What is Involved in the Process?

Fighting your case doesn’t have to be a long and drawn out process, if you find the right lawyers, they should have the expertise to tell you straight away if you have a case to pursue or not.

Railroad operators and companies must take responsibility for the safety of pedestrians, other vehicles and the people on board when navigating the railroad. This means they need to take reasonable care that no one is injured during the course of their travel.

Trains are big vehicles with a lot of power and the locomotive itself cannot respond as quickly as a car or smaller vehicle, this is sometimes a complication i court proceedings as lawyers have to prove that the operator or company was at fault, and it was not the fact that the train itself just took too long to stop.

How Much Compensation Could You Win?

This amount varies drastically depending entirely on the circumstance and your individual case, so I’m wary of putting any huge numbers out there.

However, there was one case where a train passenger was injured during the course of their journey and pursued their case to claim compensation. The result was outstanding as it was proved that their injuries were sustained due to the company’s negligence. The verdict totalled more than $30 million dollars, which included $5.1 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages. This was a landmark case, so you should discuss the potential for compensatory damage with the attorney you choose to represent you.